Market segmentation of coastal tourists with The self organizing maps approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

: An individual’s choice for a particular destination depends on it's characteristics and different motivation of visitors. Therefore, in order to identify coastal tourist's profiles and motivation, this research was conducted among tourists who visit's coast of Bushehr in southern Iran. Research data was collected through a questionnaire, which consists of two parts. In the first part of the questionnaire the motivational factors that attracting people to the destination where investigated and in the second part the facility of place were evaluated by tourists. Using a convenience sample, 207 surveys were collected and analyzed with self-organizing maps (SOM) that based on artificial neural networks. Clustering results showed three clusters of tourists: beach attractions and various activities seekers, Recreation seekers and relaxation seekers. According to these results, appropriate marketing strategies suggested to effectively develop tourism policies in each segment.

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